An antigay extremist group just purchased one of Ohio’s oldest gay clubs and plans to turn it into a hate temple house of worship.

The Greater Toledo House of Prayer has purchased the former Bretz’s Nightclub. According to the ministry’s board, the group had outgrown it’s old office space and was looking for a larger place where they could preach about the evils of homosexuality praise the lord.

According to its website, the House of Prayer opposes “living in, practicing, condoning, or supporting sex outside of marriage, adultery, homosexuality, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, gender identity different than the birth sex… pornography, or other sexual immorality.”

In fact, the group is so concerned with policing people’s sexual behavior that it has a special link on its website to a document titled Biblical Lifestyle, Sexuality, Marriage, Gender, And Human Life Statements of Belief.

Bretz’s Nightclub first opened in 1987, during the height of the AIDS epidemic. Owner Greg Knott wanted to create a space where LGBTQ people felt at home, and even went so far as to host Thanksgiving and Easter dinners for people who were not welcomed by their families. Knott sold the bar in 2007. The new owner decided to close it down back in December after the landlord announced plans to sell the building.

“This place was built from the ground up to serve the gay community,” Steve Witker, who worked at the bar for 20 years, told the Toledo City Paper. “[Greg’s] view was that it wasn’t just a bar—it was a community resource.”

House of Prayer, which denies being a hate group, despite all evidence to the contrary, purchased the property last month for $148,000. Up next on the agenda: A complete and thorough exorcism to rid the property of any lingering gay demons before the ministry officially moves in.

DCguy

And another of the right wingers defends the hate group.

February 6, 2018 at 10:02am

o.codone

The only hate group larger and louder than this one is the anti-christian hate group called The Gays. Your hatred of Christians is exactly the same as the hate they have for you. Your hate is NOT righteous or justifiable like you think is is. Hate is hate and you’re guilty.

Juanjo

CastleSF

It’s a hopeful sign that more people are going back to the church (or 12-step meetings) to seek deeper spiritual growth. Just don’t go to any anti-gay church. The Episcopal Church is probably the most progressive mainline protestant church in the US. They are not as stodgy as the Catholic Church and their liturgy is beautiful.

lcandela123

I agree. I’m tired of these click-bait titles in the gay press that imply something nefarious, when it really wasn’t. The gay bar failed, tried to get it sold as another gay bar, didn’t work, got bought by a church that we don’t like. boring.